AT-Network April 2017

at-network@lists.umanitoba.ca

5 participants
8 discussions

WFP: Proposed bike-ped bridge over Pembina Highway (Apr.29'17)

by Beth McKechnie

Proposed bridge over Pembina Highway would be ‘huge’ http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/proposed-pedestrian- and-cycling-bridge-over-pembina-highway-will-be-huge- huge-huge-420783833.html BICYCLISTS and pedestrians heading to a Winnipeg Blue Bombers game or classes at the University of Manitoba may be two years away from having a quicker path to get there with their own $12-million bridge across Pembina Highway. If approved, the Bishop Grandin Walk-Bike Bridge Over Pembina Highway project would open in spring 2019, and the city is holding a workshop to get feedback from the public next month. Coun. Janice Lukes (South Winnipeg — St. Norbert) called the project “huge.” “There will be a bridge for rapid transit buses (over Bishop Grandin) and a bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians and then, when the bicyclists get to Barley Brothers (restaurant), they all go up and over from berm to berm across Pembina Highway,” Lukes said on Friday. “There is a big push for this. It is applicable for federal funding.” Lukes — a longtime advocate for bike paths — said it would make an area of heavy traffic and multiple lanes safer for cyclists, noting there has already been one bike fatality there. Dick Stevenson, 69, was cycling to a Winnipeg Blue Bombers exhibition game in 2014 when he was hit and killed by a car on Pembina Highway near Bishop Grandin Boulevard. The new bridge would connect the Bishop Grandin Greenway across Pembina Highway so bicyclists would be able to cycle from the Sage Creek subdivision on the easter side of the city to Fort Whyte Alive on the western side. Lukes said the bridge would make it easier for people in nearby neighbourhoods to get to new Southwest Rapid Transitway stations where they can securely park their bikes. The city says in a section of a report that the bridge may look “pretty long” because it has to be built using current accessibility standards. As well, it is being built with safety in mind by using lighting and connecting pathways and making sure bridge users would be visible to motorists and sidewalk users. Construction is expected to begin as early as March if city council approves the project. The workshop is being held in the Sky Deck Event Centre at the south end of Investors Group Field on May 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Free parking is available in the university’s U lot at the south end of the stadium. For information, visit winnipeg. ca/Bishop Walk Bike Bridge kevin.rollason(a)freepress.mb.ca

6 years, 11 months

NYC's Protected Bike Lanes Have Actually Sped Up Car Traffic

by Beth McKechnie

A quick read and a good news story for a sunny Friday morning! https://www.fastcompany.com/3035580/new-york-citys- protected-bike-lanes-have-actually-sped-up-its-car-traffic When New York City first started adding new protected bike lanes in 2007, some drivers made the usual argument against them: Taking street space away from cars would slow down traffic. After years of collecting data, a new report <http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2014-09-03-bicycle-path-data-anal…> from the city shows that the opposite is true. On some streets redesigned with protected bike lanes, travel times are actually faster. And it turns out the new lanes have a range of other benefits as well. For pedestrians, the bike lanes make walking safer by shortening crosswalks and making crossings more obvious to drivers. Pedestrian injuries have dropped an average of 22% on streets with bike lanes. Not surprisingly, cyclist injuries have also decreased; on 9th Avenue, for example, even though far more bikes are on the street, cyclist injuries have gone down by 65%. For cars, a better traffic flow comes partly as a side benefit from a safety feature added with the bike lanes. Cars turning left now have pockets to wait in–so they’re less likely to hit a cyclist riding straight, but they also stop blocking traffic as they wait. “Having that left turning area, where you’re able to get out of the flow, you can see the cyclist, the cyclist can see the turning vehicle, you can pause and not feel the pressure from behind to make a quick movement,” says Josh Benson, director of bicycle and pedestrian programs for the New York City Department of Transportation. “That’s a major major safety feature of these type of bike lanes. But it also helps the flow.” That’s not to say the city hasn’t gotten some complaints about the changes–in some cases, people perceived that traffic was slower, perhaps just because they expected it to be. “I think there are those people who had the perception that travel times increased just because visually they saw the roadway looked different,” says Benson. “It’s part of the reason we do a lot of empirical data collection, because we get a lot of anecdotal feedback.” The new data will help the department as it promotes an ever-growing network of protected lanes in new neighborhoods. “Just being able to really show an overall comprehensive benefit for these facilities is going to help us with the next generation of bike lanes,” says Sean Quinn, co-director of the DOT’s Pedestrian Projects Group. “We’re not going to just say this is a bike facility, and it’s going to help one mode of traffic–we’re going to say it has the potential to help everyone in the neighborhood where we’re placing the facility.” The new bike lanes even help local business <https://www.fastcoexist.com/1682022/want-to-make-money-build-a-business-on-…>; the city has found that streets with bike lanes are linked with more retail sales, new jobs, and more tourists. Over the last seven years, New York has installed over 30 miles of protected bike lanes, but it’s just the beginning. “It’s our plan to do five miles of protected bike lanes every year going forward,” says Benson. “That’s actually about 100 city blocks of protected bike lanes, so that’s a huge chunk of city streets every year.”

6 years, 11 months

BBC News: Cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease, says study

by Charles F

Not only fun, but a life-saver too! Cycling to work can cut cancer and heart disease, says study - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-39641122

6 years, 12 months

Cycling Without Age: Winnipeg Launch May 2

by Beth McKechnie

Excited to share the news that a Winnipeg chapter of Cycling Without Age is launching on *Tuesday, May 2nd, 10:30am at the Riverview Health Centre Foundation*. Ole Kassow, the founder of the organization, will be present. Spearheaded by Michael & Wendy Erlanger after a visit to Copenhagen, the Winnipeg chapter will be the 10th in Canada (see list <http://cyclingwithoutage.com/chapters-canada/>). There's also a nice write-up <http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/our-communities/souwester/Enjoy-a-ride-no-…> in yesterday's Sou'wester. Please see the attached invite for details and be sure to *RSVP by Monday, April 24 to **cwawinnipeg(a)gmail.com* <cwawinnipeg(a)gmail.com> if you plan to attend. cheers, Beth ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Beth McKechnie <beth(a)greenactioncentre.ca> Date: Sat, Mar 18, 2017 at 12:04 PM Subject: Cycling Without Age: Why you should take a senior for a bike ride To: AT network <at-network(a)lists.umanitoba.ca> If you need a smile and a good news story, read the whole article <http://ideas.ted.com/why-you-should-take-a-senior-on-a-bike-ride/>. Would be wonderful to pilot this in Winnipeg! * * * * * Copenhagener Ole Kassow launched a program to bring older Danes on bicycle outings. Now volunteer pilots in 29 countries are taking their passengers on the road. It all started with a friendly wave. In 2012, Copenhagen native Ole Kassow’s daily cycling commute took him past a nursing home. Every morning, the management consultant would see impeccably dressed 97-year-old Thorkild, who’d greet him from a spot on a bench, a walker by his side. Kassow wondered about the last time the man — and the home’s other residents — had been on a bike. “Because most Copenhageners love cycling, I assumed he’d love to go back out in his community, to interact with his neighbors, and do something he’d probably always done in his life,” he says. He received permission from home staff to take a senior for a ride in a rental trishaw — a cargo tricycle with a low passenger compartment that goes in front of the cyclist. This ride eventually led Kassow to create the nonprofit Cycling Without Age <http://cyclingwithoutage.org/>, an initiative that now includes more than 250 chapters in 29 countries. -- *Beth McKechnie* | Workplace Commuter Options <http://greenactioncentre.ca/>Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/>

6 years, 12 months

Millennials & seniors move into Calgary's first car-free condo

by Beth McKechnie

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/millennials-and-seniors-start-movi… Developer Joe Starkman thought Calgary’s first condo without a single stall for tenants’ automobiles would attract millennials. Between the complete absence of parking and the millennial-friendly perks that come with the purchase of a unit — think an Ikea gift card for furniture, a new urban bicycle and credit for car-sharing service Car2Go — you can’t blame him. Residents started moving into the history-making, parking-free N3 development on Monday and while the majority are under the age of 35, Starkman has been pleasantly surprised at just who will be living in the 167-unit tower in the up-and-coming East Village. “Generally, it’s a younger group moving in,” said Starkman, with Knightsbridge Homes. “But the other anomaly we had is we ended up with a whole bunch of seniors.” Starkman said he’s heard from older buyers who don’t drive and are keen to live close to a transit station, amenities including a yet-to-be-opened grocery store, and a diversity of ages. “One actually said to me, ‘I’m tired of living with all of these old people,” he said. “It leads you to think maybe we need more of a mix, instead of us putting all of our seniors in seniors homes overlooking the grass growing out in the suburbs.” Whether young or old, the people who will call home a 465-square-foot one-bedroom or a 625-square foot two-bedroom inner-city condo are living in a piece of Calgary history. When city council in notoriously car-loving Calgary unanimously approved the 15-storey parking-free condo tower in May 2015, it was a first for the city. Under normal Calgary rules, a tower of N3’s size would require about 100 parking stalls and Starkman estimated because of the water table needs in the area, each would have cost $50,000. The absence of underground parking stalls allowed Knightsbridge to finish the development quicker than a typical build and offer a lower price point. Starkman said he was first inspired to build a car-less condo after offering his daughter an old car while she was studying at Dalhousie University. “She said, ‘A Car? What am I going to do with a car,'” he recalled. “(She said,) ‘I’ve got a transit pass, a bike and I can walk.'” The conversation spurred baby boomer Starkman to hire marketers who talked to young Calgarians in downtown coffee shops. They found 30 per cent of the people surveyed lacked drivers licenses and 50 per cent didn’t own a vehicle. With all but 20 units sold, Starkman said there’s clearly an appetite for the no-car concept in Calgary. “I’m not saying this no parking should take over the world in Calgary,” he said. “We’re not downtown Toronto or London, but it seems to me there was a bit of a gap in the marketplace that nobody was really approaching.”

7 years

Wolseley to West Alexander - share your feedback!

by Shoni Madden

Hi Everyone, Our Active and Safe Routes to School program is working with the schools as part of this exciting City of Winnipeg project. Please share this information, complete the survey, and participate on social media. You can find the full details here <http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/walkbikeprojects/wols…> . This project will look at options to encourage walking and cycling for people of all ages and abilities through the creation of a neighbourhood greenway <http://www.winnipeg.ca/publicworks/pedestriansCycling/bicyclefacilitytypede…> along Ruby Street and Banning Street to link the Wolseley and West Alexander neighbourhoods. Ruby Street and Banning Street provide an important north-south connection between Palmerston Avenue and Notre Dame Avenue and beyond. We want to hear from you! We want to learn from you about what is important to you as we move forward with the project. This will occur initially to identify strengths, barriers and issues around mobility and traffic safety in the neighbourhood. Once options have been developed we will share them with you and request your feedback. Tag your photos Join the conversation about the Wolseley to West Alexander corridor by sharing your photos as you walk and bike along the route. Tag them with #WalkBikeWPG, #Wolseley, #WestEndWPG and whatever you'd like us to know about the picture. Use as many tags as you want to get specific, including locations like #BanningST or #ElliceST, conversational tags like #BikeWPG and #WalkWPG, or descriptions like #MoreLikeThis or #EasierCrossing. The project team will be monitoring the hashtags and compiling the results until May 19th. Take the survey [image: Begin the survey] <https://wolseleywestalex.metroquest.ca/> Engage at a pop-up event Come meet the project team at one of three pop-up engagement events where you can provide your feedback (drop-by format, come and go). Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017 Time: 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Location: Jonnies Sticky Buns, 941 Portage Ave. <https://goo.gl/maps/ARNAAGgoCnr> Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017 Time: 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Location: Daniel McIntyre St Matthews Community Association Spring Clean-up Event, 823 Ellice Ave. <https://goo.gl/maps/mbx4cnRKAFS2> Date: Friday, April 28, 2017 Time: 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Location: Joy’s Tea, 885 Westminster Ave. <https://goo.gl/maps/Cigp4SdTU2w> Contact information: For further information, to provide your feedback or to join our mailing list contact: Kristin Drewes, Public Engagement Lead Phone: 204-942-0654 Email: WolseleyWestAlex(a)intergroup.ca If you would like to stay updated on City of Winnipeg public engagement events, follow the City on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/cityofwinnipeg> and Twitter <https://twitter.com/cityofwinnipeg> or sign up for our newsletter <http://winnipeg.ca/wpgmail/subscribe_all.stm?elist=2#city>. Thanks! -- *Shoni Madden* | Active and Safe Routes to School Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3773 | Find us here <http://greenactioncentre.ca/content/ecocentre-directions-and-travel-options/> Green Action Centre is your non-profit hub for greener living. Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <http://canadahelps.org/> * Please note that my regular office hours are Monday/Friday. I will respond to your communication at this time.

7 years

The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Luncheon April 20th

by Heather Mitchell

*The Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Membership Luncheon Series: T**he Best Way to Save Money, with Climate Smart’s President Elizabeth Sheeha**n* *[image: Inline image 1]* *Thursday, April 20, 2017 11:30 AM | Register Here <https://winnipegmbcoc.wliinc31.com/events/April-Luncheon-The-Best-Way-to-Sa…>* "With the imminent introduction of a carbon tax, there’s never been greater incentive for Manitoba businesses to strategically reduce environmental footprints. Climate Smart – a Vancouver-based social enterprise – has a decade long track record of helping more than 800 businesses (including local governments, financial institutions, ports and airports) profitably track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 11 per cent within two years. Climate Smart’s President Elizabeth Sheehan shares stories and case studies to help you reduce emissions, strengthen bottom lines and build a resilient economy." -- *Heather Mitchell *| Workplace Commuter Options Green Action Centre <http://www.greenactioncentre.ca/> 3rd floor, 303 Portage Ave | (204) 925-3772 Green Action Centre is your green living hub Support our work by becoming a member <http://greenactioncentre.ca/support/become-a-member/>. Donate at CanadaHelps.org <https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/green-action-centre/> <http://canadahelps.org/>

7 years

Bike Winnipeg gathering cycling map input to close gaps (Apr.4'17)

by Beth McKechnie

Bike Winnipeg gathering cycling map input to close gapsThe city has invited cycling advocates to crowdsource safe routes for its next city-wide cycling map. http://www.metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/2017/04/04/winnipeg-bike-advocates-cr… Winnipeg is a city of few bike lanes, so bike commuters improvise often–they know tricky routes, safe routes, sneaky routes–and a new bike map being produced this summer will bring all that expertise together. Bike Winnipeg will include crowd-sourced bike routes in a proposal that will help inform the City of Winnipeg's next "city-wide cycling map," so it's inviting cyclists to offer their pointers at an open house at the Millennium Library on April 11. "Basically what we are doing is looking at where there is no sort of bike facilities and asking people to point out routes they know that are low-stress, and maybe point out barriers where it's maybe more nasty to ride," said director Mark Cohoe. The City of Winnipeg recently closed a request for proposals for a new cycling map to replace the last one produced in 2014 and distributed in 2015 at libraries, community centres, bike shops and bike events like Bike Week, as well as in PDF form online. Since 2009, the printed cycling maps have been free to the general public and are meant to provide comprehensive route information. The council-supported pedestrian and cycling strategy directs the city continue producing the city-wide cycling map, and just like the 2014 version, public input is being valued. A city spokesperson confirmed Bike Winnipeg was tasked with "gathering some information on informal routes that will be provided" to whatever successful contractor ends up producing the maps. Cohoe explained the approach to the map is appropriate, since it recognizes "there are a lot of areas in the city where there's nothing (for bikes)." "They've asked us to have people point out residential streets that are more or less straight connections with not so many stops," he said. "We're looking for something ideally where if you have to cross a busy street, there's a safe way to cross it." Cohoe said anyone who figures they've got some decent routes fitting that description should attend the April 11 workshop between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. "We'll have some maps out there so people can help us pinpoint the routes… we'll send that to the city and they'll share it with whoever ends up doing the map," he said.

7 years

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AT-Network April 2017